Winner of a lifetime achievement Grammy earlier this year, Prine was a virtuoso of the soul, if not the body. He sang his conversational lyrics in a voice roughened by a hard-luck life, particularly after throat cancer left him with a disfigured jaw.

He was considered one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He is known for songs including “In Spite of Ourselves,” “Fish and Whistle,” and “I Just Want To Dance With You.” He has won two Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019.

In 2017, Rolling Stone proclaimed him “The Mark Twain of American songwriting.”

“His situation is critical,” the Prine family said in a statement. “This is hard news for us to share. But so many of you have loved and supported John over the years, we wanted to let you know, and give you the chance to send on more of that love and support now.”